The present invention relates generally to the forming of insulated electrical connectors and more particularly to the molding of such connectors about terminals having leads extending therefrom.
Terminal-containing electrical connectors are frequently formed by injecting a synthetic resin into a mold cavity in which the terminals are supported with the associated leads extending from the cavity through so-called wire guides which are sometimes also referred to as wire pinch-off or shut-off members. Such wire guides are normally made of steel and are frequently formed as an integral part of the connector mold. For molds in which various lead sizes may be employed, the wire guides may be made as a removable steel piece having fixed closely fitting wire passing apertures. Some attempts have been made at forming wire guides from flexible materials with one such arrangement for single wires extending from the mold being the provision of a generally flat bar of a urethane material arranged so that upon closing of the mold halves, the single wire is displaced into the urethane bar, effectively closing off the end of the mold cavity from which the single lead extends.
In the molding of multiple-lead multiple-terminal electrical connectors, such as eight way trailer connectors of the general type illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,564,709, fixed size steel wire guides are typically employed. While such fixed aperture wire guides are well suited to high production, long term runs of a specified connector having specified numbers and sizes of leads, this arrangement is not well suited to the production of small volume, frequently changed parts made in the same mold. In this general type situation where wires are stacked on wires, guides made from materials, such as urethanes, have been tried with slots cut to the wire gauge size, however, these guides have not met with any measure of success, and are not capable of coping with differing numbers and sizes of leads emanating from connectors formed in the same mold.